Extracts of a number of legumes of the Sesbania genus have displayed very promising activity in a variety of anticancer screenings. In particular extracts of Sesbania drummondii were active in an vivo P388 leukemia bioassay. The active compound appears to be a crystalline minor metabolite called sesbanine. The relative stereostructure of sesbanine was elucidated in June, 1978 in the PI's laboratory using x-ray diffraction techniques. The structure of sesbanine is unique; no closely related natural or synthetic molecules have been described in the literature. The limited quantity of naturally available sesbanine is insufficient to carry out comprehensive in vivo testing and thus there is a substantial inducement for total synthesis. This project aims at developing an efficient synthesis of sesbanine and related molecules. The synthetic plan involves (1) the synthesis of a bicyclic imide from a suitable pyridine precursor, (2) spiroalkylation of this imide to complete the carbon skeleton of sesbanine, and (3) adjustment of the functionality of this archiral precursor to achieve sesbanine itself. The synthetic scheme is sufficiently flexible to make available a variety of sesbanine analogs, or samples of isotopically labeled sesbanine for biological, biochemical and medical experiments.